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      Big Jim McLain

      1952, Drama, 1h 30m

      2 Reviews 100+ Ratings

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      Movie Info

      Jim McLain (John Wayne) and his partner, Mal Baxter (James Arness), are investigators for the House Un-American Activities Committee, who are sent to Hawaii to find the leaders of a local Communist Party. They visit Dr. Gelster (Gayne Whitman), a psychiatrist who is treating one of the party members. While there, McLain charms the doctor's secretary, Nancy Vallon (Nancy Olson), and asks her out. As their hunt continues, McLain and Baxter become targets of Communist boss Sturak (Alan Napier).

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      Critic Reviews for Big Jim McLain

      Audience Reviews for Big Jim McLain

      • Mar 12, 2010
        Seeks to glorify the loathsome Joe McCarthy and his venal lot. Wayne was a well known ultra conservative so his presence here is no surprise but that this thing exists at all is a shame.
        Super Reviewer
      • Nov 12, 2008
        <i>Big Jim McLain</i> features one of John Wayne's best walk-through; he looks a little sheepish, but he's so amiable you forget he's really not in character. The drama at hand is tidied up rather quickly, yet the film is directed with a steady hand and has an easy-going pace. The black-and-white cinematography is quite beautiful, with silvery shots of the tropics in all their '50s splendor.
        Super Reviewer

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